RISE - World of the Show

For as long as these women can remember, and as long as their ancestors’ stories reach back, a great drought has plagued the earth. Fires have raged uncontrollably and, for generations, people have been at their mercy. No one knew when or where the fires would start so tragedy would strike often, killing or harming many. This group of mothers met when they were young - some pregnant, some with tiny daughters in tow - and they were determined to find a safer way to live. They risked everything and set out across the land in search of a safer place. 

They fought fires along the way but they finally found their way to a forest. It had already burned so the risk of another fire was low. The land was cool and scrubby; new life was beginning to emerge. There, they built a place for themselves. They tended and nurtured it and raised their daughters, living off the land. For many years, they have kept themselves safe and have kept the fires at bay.

Over the last several years, however, the fires have stopped coming. The weather has been changing and, lately, these changes are frightening. It is getting cooler, and they can hear storms in the distance. The mothers believe a great rain is coming that could wash everything away and that their only chance of safety is to stay in their forest and pray that the roots of the dead trees surrounding them will hold the earth fast if a deluge comes. 

The daughters disagree. They are now grown and they have become restless. They talk and plan endlessly about what is beyond the borders of their forest, believing they could find their way to new land, to higher ground, in order to be safer and to flourish. They see the rain as an exciting opportunity to finally fight their own battle and win.

The mothers are frustrated with their daughters and feel they don’t appreciate the years of effort they put into creating a safe space for them to live. They see them as silly, full of hot air, and unaware of how dangerous it is to fight a battle for basic existence. The daughters are frustrated with their mothers and their unwillingness to explore beyond the boundaries they have built. They see them as backward-looking, pessimistic, insular, and entrenched. The two groups are not communicating well with one another any longer.